Self-inking porous printing member



Patented Dec. 13, 1949 SELF-INKING POROUS PRINTING MEMBER Chester n. Goodwin, mm, w. v... assignor to American Viscose Corporation, Wilmington, DeL, a corporation of Delaware Application September 1, 1944, Serial No. 552,263

This invention relates to printing and printing type and is particularly concerned with the application of porous type bodies for making printed or embossed impressions or both on any desired impression surface.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing arrangement involving a porous printing or type body which relies not merely upon the capillarity of the pores in the type body but which is characterized by a pumping action for causing positive flow of the ink or other printing material'to the surface of the type body. A further object of the present invention is to provide a baling press with an automatic arrangement for printing the carton or wrapper used in baling. Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the drawing and the description thereof hereinafter.

In the drawing which is illustrative of the invention,

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view showing a simple embodiment of the invention,

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but with the type depressed as in the actual operation of printing,

Figure 3 is a cross section of a modification,

Figure 4 is a somewhat diagrammatic view illustrating an adaptation of the invention to a rotary type of press,

Figure 5 is a view of a type body, and

Figure 6 shows the application of the type to a baling press.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, one or more printing or type bodies 2 rest upon a compressible backing 3 of a resilient material, such as rubber or synthetic rubber, and preferably of a porous, spongy character. The compressible backing 3 rests upon the floor of the receptacle 4 which may be filled with ink and may be provided with the cover 5 having suitable openings 6 for slidably receiving the printing or type bodies 2. The printing or type body 2 is of porous character throughout except for the non-printing surfaces at the top as viewed in Figures 1 and 2 and the surface about the upper portion of the periphery thereof. By making the non-printing upper surfaces and the upper peripheral surfaces nonporous and substantially impermeable, the flow of ink over the upper surface of the cover 5 is prevented throughout the printing operation. The type body is provided with one or more recesses 1 which open toward and face the backing 3. When an impression sheet is forced down upon the type, as by a movable upper platen as shown in Figure 2, the type body is forced into 10 Claims. (Cl. Mil-327) 2 the compressible backing 3 along the contact areas 8. In effect, this reduces the volume of- .the recess or recesses 1 since the area of the compressible backing 3 which faces the recesses undergoes substantially no compression. As a result of the reduction in volume of the recesses I, the ink therein is forced through the porous type body to the printing surface thereof. After printing, the type body 2 is forced upwardly by the resilience of the backing 3 and sufiicient ink flows into the recesses I to make up the loss occurring in the preceding printing operation.

. Figure 3 illustrates a modification applicable more generally to large type bodies. As there shown, the type body 2 is provided with the recesses I and the floor of the ink receptacle 4 is provided with projections 9 which extend partially into the recesses fitting slidably therein. .Coll springs in bear against the opposing faces of the projections 9 and the recess bottom, telescoping tubes ll being provided to prevent the springs from being dislodged. Normally the springs press the type body into the position shown in Figure 2 where its ridges l2 strike against the cover 5 of the receptacle. Members l2a may be provided to limit the downward movement of the type body 2, thereby controlling the amount of printing medium transferred at each impression. Again, the type body 2 is porous throughout with the exception of the nonprinting surfaces at the top and the surfaces along the upper portion of its outer periphery and when a sheet being printed is pressed down against the type body, it moves downwardly against the force of the springs I0. By virtue of the relative motion of the type body 2 over the rigid projections 9, the ink within the recesses is compressed and forced through the type body and the printing surfaces. After printing, the springs In return the type body 2 to the position shown in Figure 3 and replenishing ink flows as a result of a suction effect through the porous walls of the type body 2 into the recesses 1.

Figure 4 illustrates the application of the invention to a rotary form of printing press. As

.shown, the printing cylinder or roller comprises the inner cylinder l3 within the inkereceivin chamber of the roller and the porous type bodies ll having the recesses l8 are mounted for radial 3 sliding motion within the outer cylinder I. The whole roller is provided with a suitable bearing and may be rotated in conventional manner. An external ink supply vessel 19 communicates through the conduit 20 and through the bearing with one or more radially extending conduits 2| for feeding ink into the annular chamber between the cylinders l3 and I4. The sheet to be printed may be supplied to the member between the printing roll and a pressure roll 22 as is conventional in printing machines for printing continuous sheets. The same principle and construction may be applied to an ordinary hand roller which is adapted to be rolled over the sheet to be imprinted.

The printing medium, such as ink, black or colored, may be supplied to the ink receiving chamber within the printing roll under the influence of any desired static head maintained within the vessel I9. In the case of high speed presses, the feed of the ink through the porous type bodies may depend largely upon centrifugal force. Whether a static head or centrifugal force is-relied on, they should not be so great as to cause the printing medium to flow in excessive quantities to the printing surface, but rather of such magnitude as to assure proper transfer of the medium to the impression sheet. If desired, the compressible mat it may be omitted,

the type body I! may be secured rigidly to the outer cylinder i3 and the feeding of the ink may rely solely upon a static head through a supply vessel I9 or upon centrifugal force resulting from high speed rotation of the roller.

Figure 5 is a perspective illustrating a simple form of type body 2. As stated previously, all of the surfaces, internal as well as external, of the type body may be porous. However, it is preferred that all external surfaces above the dotted line 23 be rubbed or burnished to render the surface non-permeable, with the exception of the impression surface 24. i

In Figure 6, there is shown diagrammatically a baling press having an upper fixed platen 25 and a lower movable platen 26. The movable platen 26 is provided with a well 21 for receiving a printing assembly 28 made in accordance with Figures 1 and 2 or Figure 3. Upon the upward movement of the platen carrying the lower wrapper section 29 to compress fibers or other material carried in the charging hopper 30 into a carton or equivalent wrapper section 3! held just below the fixed platen 25, any desired identifying indicia may be printed upon the lower wrapper section 29. By arranging the impression surfaces of the type bodies with suflicient elevation above the overall surface of the movable platen 28, the indicia may not only be printed but may be embossed upon the wrapper section 29 of cardboard or the like. The printing assembly 28 may be placed in the stationary platen or in an upper platen, whether stationary or movable, if desired. v

The porous printing or type bodies may be made of metal, or of hard synthetic resins or any other rigid material and any desired method may be employed to impart porosity. The degree of porosity that is conventional in porous metals heretofore made which is practically unnoticeable to the unaided eye is entirely satisfactory for use in the present invention.

It is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a baling press comprising a fixed and a movable platen having opposed faces for engaging wrapper sections, means for moving the latter platen toward the former, and means in one of the platens having an impression surface for imprinting indicia-on a corresponding wrapper comprising a receptacle having a fixed bottom for holding a printing medium, a movable porous printing body partially immersed in the medium, and a resilient backing for the printing body positioned against the bottom and urging the body away from the bottom of the receptacle to a normal position in which the impression surface projects out of the face of the platen.

2. Printing apparatus comprising a chamber for receiving a printing medium, a porous printing body of rigid materialextending partially into the chamber and being movable to various depths with respect thereto, a recess in the back of the printing body, and resilient means opposing movement of the printing body from its inoperative position to its operative printing position of greater depth in the chamber.

3. Printing apparatus comprising a chamber for receiving a printing medium, a porous printing body of rigid material extending partially into the chamber and being movable to various depths with respect thereto, a recess in the back of the printing body, resilient means opposing move ment of the printing body from its inoperative position to its operative printing position of greater depth in the chamber, and means for varying the volume of the recess in response to the movement of the printing body.

4. Printing apparatus comprising a chamber for receiving a printing medium, a rigid, porous printing body extending partially into the chamber, a resilient backing member arranged against the reverse face of the printing body, a recess in the printing body facing the backing member, said printing body being movable in response to printing pressure to compress a portion of the resilient backing member whereby the volume of the recess is reduced by the uncompressed por tion of the backing member facing the recess.

5. Printing apparatus comprising a chamber for receiving a printing medium, a rigid, porous printing body extending partially into the chamber, a recess in the back of the printing body, a fixed member in the chamber arranged to project into the recess, said printing body being movable with respect to said projecting member to vary the volume of the recess, and resilient means biassing the printing body in a direction away from the projecting member.

6. Printing apparatus comprising a movable porous printing body of rigid material having a printing surface, a recess in the printing body for receiving a printing medium, and means for entering the recess to vary the volume thereof in response to the movement of the printing body for forcing the printing medium contained in the recess through the body to the printing surface.

7. In combination, a baling press comprising a fixed and a movable platen for engaging wrapper sections, means for moving the latter platen toward the former, and means in one of the piatens for imprinting indicia on a corresponding wrapper comprising a receptacle for holding a printing medium, a porous printing body extending partially into the receptacle and being movable to various depths with respect thereto. and resilient means opposing movement of the printing body from its inoperative position with its printing surface above the surface of the platen to its depressed operative printing position of greater depth in the receptacle.

8. In combination, a baling press comprising a fixed and a movable platen for engagingwrapper sections, means for moving the latter platen toward the former, and means in one of the platens for imprinting indicia on a corresponding wrapper comprising a receptacle having a fixed bottom for holding a printing medium, a porous printing body of rigid material extending partially into the receptacle and being movable to various depths with respect thereto, a recess in the back of the printing body, and a resilient V backing for the printing body positioned against the bottom.

9. Rotary printing apparatus comprising a cylindrical member, an annular chamber adjacent the outer periphery of the cylindrical member for retaining a printing medium, at least one opening in the cylindrical member, a porous printing body of rigid material extending through each opening partially into the chamber and being movable to various depths with respect thereto, each printing body sufiiciently tightly fitting its respective opening to enable the chamber to retain the printing medium therein, a recess in the back of the printing body, and resilient means opposing movement of ,the printing" body from its inoperative position to its printing position of greater depth in ber.

operative the cham- 10. Rotary printing apparatus comprising a cylindrical member, an ular chamber adjacent the outer periphery of the cylindrical meme 6 ber for retaining a printing medium, at least one opening in the cylindrical member, a porous printing body of rigid material extending through each opening partially into the chamber and being movable to various depths with respect thereto, each printing body sufficiently tightly fitting its respective opening to enable the chamber to retain the printing medium therein, a recess in the back of the printing body, resilient means opposing movement of the printing body from its inoperative position to its operative printing position of greater depth in the chamber, said resilient means comprising an annular rubber-like cushion and means for holding said cushion in fixed position with one of its surfaces closing the recess of each body.

. C. H. GOODWIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 351,355 Bigelow Oct. 26, 1886 711mm Hicks Jan. 27, 1903 1,073,340 Furman Sept. 16, 1913 1,721,452 Macdonald July 16,'1929 1,902,543 Dickson Mar. 21, 193:; JO 2,199,265 Lohrey Apr. 30, 1940 2,263,893 Schulman Nov. 25, 1241 arm-r65 Chollar May a, 1943 FORMGN PATENTS Number Country Date 478,699 Great Britain Dec. 14, we? 

